


Right on the Margin

by bold_seer



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ficlet, M/M, No Sex, Relationship Negotiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-07 19:40:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15914940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bold_seer/pseuds/bold_seer
Summary: Maslow and all, but you could survive without sex.





	Right on the Margin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [james](https://archiveofourown.org/users/james/gifts).



> Prompt: differing desires

“How do _you_ like it?” He gave Stephen a lazy, lecherous grin over the table. “Morning, evening, quickie before lunch. Outdoors, bath, bedroom where your creepy cloak watches over?”

Stephen didn’t look up, studying his fork as if it were a particularly exotic implement. “Doesn’t matter. Rarely. Never.”

“Oh,” said Tony slowly, tasting the syllable. This was new. “That’s - is it a wizard thing? You’re celibate?”

They dressed like monks, the sorcerers Tony had seen. Or Jedi. Warriors or holy men. Didn’t enjoy punching the bad guys that often, but then, the bad guys they fought could rarely be punched back into space. It wasn’t such a leap to think the Secret Order of the Masters of the Mystic Arts - whatever they actually called themselves - would shun violence that wasn’t defensive. Possessions that weren’t necessities. Physical needs that weren’t life-sustaining. Maslow and all, but you could survive without sex. Most people didn’t want to.

“Not exactly. Or that, too.” There was a self-consciousness to Stephen, as though he expected Tony to accuse him of being a prude, or no fun, or half the man that Tony was. Which, given his rep, wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. But it was still wrong. “It’s - not a priority.” For someone busy saving the world? For him?

“Okay. What is?” Tony’s voice was light, curious. He felt the smile on his face, that of a man who’d met a challenge. The challenge wasn’t how to get into someone’s pants. Not immediately, anyway. Not in the near future. Maybe not at all. It was a different challenge, of the _let’s see how we make this work_ kind.

And Tony, who had an almost magic touch with computers and technology (though nothing like Stephen’s magic touch), all intuition and inventiveness - Tony was _excellent_ at making things work.


End file.
